Shift
by aChickNamedHamlet
Summary: A story of how two people are more alike then they let on. Wherever and whatever they're doing, Shay and Tally always seem to connect, even in a subtle way.
1. Cold Feet

An annoying _Ping_ sound woke Shay up from a very light and fretful sleep. She immediately jumped out of bed and turned on her skintenna.

"Morning sleepy head." Came a whispered voice. It seemed to come from right beside her, but Shay knew it was just the skintenna working its magic.

"Morning Tachs." Shay answered.

"Hey. What am I, a wallscreen?"

"Sorry. Good Morning to you too Ho. And Fausto. Where's Tally?"

A nervous scilence greeted her. She could hear the three of them breathing quickly. She could also sense their surroundings through the skintenna. The intimacy of the skintenna network was definitely one of the best parts of being a former Cutter. It felt like she was in three different places at once. The other former Cutters must still be asleep. She could see through everyone else's eyes. It was incredible.

Fausto was still at the hospital, helping people out and arranging things. At the moment he was in the corner of a room with three beds. All three of them had injured crumblies in them. A nurse buzzed around tending to the patients.

Ho was at Town Hall. At the moment he was moving through a ruined corridor. Dust flew up in huge piles with every step. Broken wires hung from the ceiling, ripped cloth and plastics littering the floor and walls. Up in front of him was a pile of rubble where the upper floor had fallen through. It was so horrible to see all of these things. She could feel that Ho wasn't enjoying it much either. But he had to do what he could for Diego. And right now that meant going through the ruins of Town Hall to find anything that might have survived the attack. Abandoned interface rings, computer chips, even a water purifier could be useful, even though now that they had a solid home that wouldn't be needed.

Shay's breathe caught in her throat when she noticed where Tachs was. In Zane's room. Zane's face was still gaunt and deathly looking. All the cords that had been keeping him alive were being slowly ripped off by doctors.

Tally might think she was the center of the world, but it hurt Shay too that Zane was gone. It hurt all of them. And their combined pain was overwhelming. Shay found tears trickling down her cheeks.

That was one thing she could have done without. As a Cutter, you never needed to cry. Blood was tears enough. These tears hurt more than cutting herself ever could.

She brushed them off her cheek and asked again, "Where's Tally?"

Another nervous silence. Shay was getting impatient. Tally and her needed to get to Dr. Cable. They needed to end this war. Shay was sick and tired or hiding from all of the bad things with Tally. She was _done_ with that life. She wasn't going back to where she ditched her friends when they ran to the Smoke. She was done with just watching Tally cause problems and never fix them. She didn't want to give herself up, but she was doing it for Diego. Doing it for Tally. Tally needed to fix things for once. Shay knew she couldn't just keep running away.

"Shay..." came a quiet whisper from Fausto. "She...She left without you."

"What?!" screamed Shay, a lot louder than needed with the skintenna. "And why didn't you wake me? How long ago did she leave?"

"Cool it Shay-la," came Ho's voice, "Fausto sent David to head her off in a chopper. The bubblehead took hoverboards."

"Uh, Ho. How does that work out with my plan to give myself up? I have to actually _be_ there to give myself up. David is a useless voice to Dr. Cable."

"Don't worry Shay-la. We've got it all figured out." Came Tachs' voice. Shay could hear the strain to keep his voice free of pain and felt another ping of remorse for Zane.

Zane...

"Oh, yeah?" Shay said through gritted teeth, "And how is that?"

"Well, you're cured right? So Dr. Cable wouldn't believe you anyways. So we'll just let Tally tell her herself, and then when she comes back or escapes or whatever it is she'll need to do David will be there to take her home."

Shay opened her mouth a few times to argue, but thought better of it. As she ran Tachs' words through her head the plan seemed to make more and more sense.

She sighed in defeat. "I guess that is a good plan. Thanks you guys. I'm just going to—TACHS NO! STOP THEM!"

Through the skintenna network she had seen a doctor reach to disconnect the oxygen mask from Zane's face. The last thing keeping him alive. She knew they needed the space, but this wasn't just an ordinary person. She couldn't just leave him to die. She refused. Absolutely _refused_ to let Zane die.

"TACHS!"

"What are we going to do Shay? They need the beds."

"Does it look like I give a shit? This is _Zane_ we're talking about. Or did you forget. We need Zane. He's the reason we are where we are, we are _who_ we are. And you're just going to let him die. No, Tachs. Stop them."

Tachs hesitated and then muttered something to the doctors. Shay slipped on her crash bracelets and snapped her fingers. Her hoverboard zoomed towards her and she jumped on without even blinking. She commanded her room to open the window and zoomed out.

"Shay, they need the beds." Came Tachs' low voice.

"So?" said Shay.

"So, they're disconnecting him whether we like it or not."

A million thoughts ran through Shay's mind. She needed an action plan now more than ever.

"I'm coming." She said, and then disconnected her skintenna.


	2. Ho to save a life

When she got to Zane's room, Tachs and the doctors were arguing. Tachs had a powerful hand on the oxygen mask, while his body was placed in front of the machine the mask was connected to. The doctors were almost screaming at him to move, calling for back up and security just as Shay made a dramatic entrance through the window. She jumped off her hoverboard and landed perfectly on both feet without even blinking.

"Don't move, don't touch, don't talk." She commanded in a steely voice.

"We agreed last night that this bed was needed!" a doctor protested.

Shay walked over to him, towering an almost 11 ft tall. She looked down at him, eyes full of pure hate.

"We won't make this as hard as it has to be." She said, every word dripping an icy authority that she learned from her Cutter days.

"We won't be needing your precious bed." She glanced at Tachs. He looked confused, but held his tongue, knowing that Shay had a plan. He easily accepted her as the leading role. "All we need," Shay continued, "Is that oxygen tank, and those food and fluid carriers. We'll take them whether you want us to or not, so don't protest. We don't want to hurt you, but we will if we have to." The familiar words slipped off her tongue before she could stop them, but she saw instantly that they worked to her favour.

The Doctors—middle pretties who had kept their original surge—faces turned an ashen white. They blinked, shock and fear easily read across their faces. With shaking hands they began to hand the medical devices needed over to Shay. To Shay's relief, they were all run on solar energy, and therefore didn't have pesky cords to hold them back.

One terrified looking doctor handed Tachs a few booklets.

"What are these?" Tachs said, voice empty of emotion, knowing that this was all Shay. It was just like Cutter times. She had him by strings.

"Manuals on how to work the devices." He answered, his voice shaking as much as his hands.

"Good." Shay said. "Tachs. Get a bag. Make a bag. Doesn't matter. Find something to put all this stuff in. Has to be light and easily manageable. Disposable when we're done, but not city recyclable. Got it?"

"Yup." Tachs moved with sinister grace out of the room to get a proper carrier.

"Ho." She sent through her skintenna.

"Yup." Came Ho.

"I need you here, stat. And I need you to bring six or seven Cutter boards, and at least four other former Cutters that are willing for a full time job."

Ho hesitated, thinking, Shay sensed, about the duty he held to Diego and Town Hall. But the pills hadn't erased his loyalty to Shay, or the bond they had through their adventures as Uglies, Smokeys, Pretties, and Cutters alike. "I'm there." He replied.

It was almost too easy for Shay to manipulate the ones around her. It was as if her entire _purpose_ was to be a leader. To guide them, help them make the decisions they didn't even know they had. Lead people on the path to the choices that were _right_.

She was very glad today that she had this talent. Most days she repented it, even was ashamed of it. It seemed to everyone one else that she was a controlling freak. That she had way too much power and was only hurting people. They didn't understand. Nobody understood. But even after all of the assumptions and stereotyping, Shay still came back. Shay always helped her friends, always guided, always piloted the ones she loved to happiness.

Like Tally.

Shay gave an inwards sigh. She loved Tally but she hated her so much more than she'd ever hated anyone else. She was the center of the world. She was the most important. She had to get what she wanted no matter who she hurt. And maybe that's why her and Shay had became friends in the first place. Tally was dangerous. She harmed people without knowing it to get what she wanted. It was only fitting she have a friend like Shay to lead her on the right course.

But _ARGH_! Sometimes Tally drove her absolutely _insane!_ Not to mention she had wounded Shay so much that it felt she would never be fixed again. She would never admit...not to Tally...not to anyone...but David had _meant_ something to Shay. Still did. And she still couldn't have him. Because Tally had it all.

Another thing she wouldn't admit was that deep, deep within, it wasn't all that she had been through with Zane that had her coming to his rescue in the end. It was because of the hope that perhaps if Tally had Zane then one day David would finally see Shay. He would move on and they could be happy together forever....


	3. Ready, Set, Go!

**TPOV**

"Ready?" David's breath sent icy fingers down Tally's spine, even though it was a broiling hot day.

"No." Tally replied.

Yes, actually, she was. She just always felt better when she had an encouraging push. Also, sometimes she had to fool David. She wasn't brainwashed anymore, but that didn't mean she still wasn't at least a little the same. You can't go through what Tally went through and not be a little affected. Even though what they were about to do should be really guilty-making and even nerve-wracking, it didn't even faze Tally. She was ready to just jump in there. However, she knew that David wasn't, and that she shouldn't. So she pretended she was just the same as David.

Some days were a struggle for Tally, others weren't so bad. Sometimes her Special instincts kicked in ravaging to get out. Sometimes she'd look at David and have to suppress gags. Even sometimes she would get infuriated with him when he made stupid teasing jokes. But most days the thought of Z..._him_ kept her fighting for normalcy. She only had to think of her and Z..._his_ last conversation and she could calm her Special nerves.

_Just because I _shake_ a little?.._

Tally wanted right now desperately to cut herself. To replace the tears that should have been cried at the thought of that sentence. But she didn't. Because he wouldn't have wanted her to.

"Tally." David's voice broke her thoughts. "It'll be fine. We have a game plan. This will be a cinch. There's nothing to worry about, okay? Just hold your breath and go. That's what I do."

"Ya...okay. Whatever. I'm fine." Tally replied.

"Good. They should be out any minute now. Let's go."

"Right."

Tally and David simultaneously set their sneak suits to match the dry and cracked dirt ground and the brambly bush they were crouched low behind. Slowly, slowly, David and Tally sunk down on to their bellies feeling the scales of the sneak suit flip to match their surroundings. They began a rapid crawl to the helipad a few yards ahead, the scales constantly rippling like waves on the ocean.

Tally didn't breathe, didn't even blink. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and Tally realized with disappointment that it need not be. This was much too easy for her. If it had been Shay with her than she would have probably already done the deed and been flying off towards the sea. But how it was she was stuck straggling along at David's slow pace and watching every mistake.

She saw how he slid too low to the ground raising dust and sand as he went along and also leaving dirt stains on the sneak suit while Tally held herself aloft balanced on the tips of her toes and fingernails. She saw how David's breathe came out shaky from strain and heat and how his stomach growled lowly every once in a while because they had had to scope out the area carefully for the last six hours straight with no breaks.

He wasn't very amazing at this, she realized now. To Tally he'd always seemed so...enlightened. He seemed to know everything really and it was as if he himself was a part of the world in a way. Whereas Tally felt like she fit in nowhere. But now she realized that David wasn't truly as skilled as she thought, and that he had times when he was out of place. Like when he was near civilization. Like now.

They continued their crawl in silence. They got slower and slower as they got closer to the large circle take-off pad. Until finally as they reached onto the asphalt at last they were going at snail pace.

They looked around furtively, checking every inch of the helipad. Nothing was there except for a monstrous helicopter. After checking again for another time, Tally and David rose into a crouching pose and scurried quickly to the giant Rusty machine.

Tally made it there before David, and waited as he huffed and puffed himself out when he finally did arrive.

Without a word to each other Tally and David went right under the huge machine and squeezed themselves into the smallest shape they could in the corner one of the landing skids. The two of them had gone over the plan a million times over the last six hours. They had it down to an art of reciting it to each other. They could probably walk the layout of the landing pad blindfolded with both hands tied behind their backs. In short, they were prepared. Very prepared.

The sun came down in hazy glares and David was breaking a sweat. Tally could hear him panting away and it seemed so loud to her. The heat wasn't even a small problem to Tally. Her body temperature changed to compensate for the heat. To her it felt like any other day. But David's loud breathe was getting increasingly annoying and she was cramped up into a small space, which wasn't hard but was very frustrating as she preferred wide open spaces in which she could move around. She wasn't sure how soon they would be here and her Special emotions were on edge. It was too frustrating for words to describe. It was taking most of her will power to keep herself in check and follow the plan. She wasn't even sure she had the power to do that anymore. The only sure thing for Tally at the moment was that this was going to be a _loooooong_ afternoon.


	4. Let's stumble blindly

**SPOV**

Trees wipped all around them, wind buffeted their unprotected faces and hands. They were riding fast. Shay and Tachs were doubled up on one board together. Zane was lying on a pair of sandwhiched boards pushed together. On either side of him were Ho and Fausto, who were crouched down low, one hand holding firmly to Zane's side. The other former cutters each had their own boards. A few were guiding other boards with medical supplies and four Cutters were close together with the large carrier saddled to the bottom of their boards.

Truth be told, Shay hadn't thought about where they were taking Zane. Her main plan consisted on having the right tools to keep him alive, the right people to watch over him, and getting him as far away from that hospital as possible. She hadn't bothered to think farther than that. She never really did.

Even though to Tachs and her other former Cutters she was always the one with the plan, most of the times she just crossed her fingers and jumped, winging it the whole way through. And that's what she was going to do now. Hey, you know what they say. Old habits die hard.

"Higher guys, and slower too. It would be hard to get our hands on any more of this medical stuff so be careful."

Tachs nudged her from behind.

"Oh," Shay added, "And it would be hard to get another Zane if he fell off, so be careful with him too."

Tachs rolled his eyes and grinned at her.

"what_?_" Shay asked. Tachs just chuckled.

While they made their slow ascent Shay scoped out the area for a good spot. All she needed was an empty strip of land where no people were going to go. Even by accident. It had to be pretty much a dead zone.

_Great_, thought Shay_ now I'm looking for imaginary worlds right outside Diego_. Now that nobody was a bubblehead anymore, well at least most people, everyone was up to Ugly tricks. There was no part of the wilderness that didn't get even a little activity every once in a while. Shay needed somewhere that was purpously deserted and avoided. One where no one could get in by accident, but people like her and the former cutters could get in and out of when they needed to.

Shay gasped. Then she hit herself in the head.

How had she missed this!

Shay knew the perfect place to bring Zane.

"Okay you guys, let's start making a wide arc inland. Away from the sea, farther to the right. Let's go."

The group conformed and slowly shifted their hoverboards in the opposite direction. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't even notice that the former Cutters had moved. Shay smirked to herself at how amazing her group was, still is.

"Where are we headed?" Tachs asked, his voice whispering closely to Shay's ear.

Shay shivered as Tachs' breathe skittered cross her skin. "You'll see when we get there." She replied.


	5. Ear of hawk Breath of horse

**TPOV**

_Whap whap whap_

A tiny noise had Tally's ears on hyperalert. It came from the large hilly terrain in the distance. It was still a ways away but Tally's Special ears could almost make out the sound of Helicopter blades savagely cutting through the air.

"David. Stop breathing for a moment." She commanded. It was hard to tell what with him panting like a horse.

"Why?" He asked.

Tally just looked at him. He took a gulp of air and held his breath.

_Whap whap whap_

The sound was getting louder and louder. Tally was almost positive it was helicopter blades now. She listened more closely, straining every muscle she had.

_WHAP WHAP WHAP_

Definately.

"They're coming David. Get ready."

David mumbled under his breath, "how the hell does she do that?"

Tally snorted. "If I can hear a Chopper nearly a hundred yards away you think I can't hear you muttering to yourself right in front of me?"

"Mnghh" was all David said.

Soon the whole Helicopter was visible over the hilly backdrop. It's massive blades chopped through the air crazily. Tally remembered how close she had been to being cut right through with those blades and winced. She was going to have to be more careful this time so as not to come that close again.

The Chopper almost looked like a bug to her. The front windows looked just like huge bug eyes, the blades could be the wings and the long bit at the end would be the abdomen. She thought of the Rangers. Bugs sitting in bugs.

As the Helicopter got closer and closer David became more and more tense. His breath quickened and his muscles twisted themselves into an attack-ready position. He was braced for the worst. And it might be. For him at least. But Tally knew she could do this.

In Tally's mind she imagined an old black school clock like the ones they used to have when she was an ugly. She imagined that second hand ticking just as slowly as it had done just before final bell.

Ten...

Nine...

Eight...

The Helicopter was almost at the landing pad. It was just crossing the dry field Tally and David had just come on.

Seven...

Six...

The helicopter was descending rapidly. Dust was flying up all around them and little pebbles and stones bounced off of their sneak suits.

Five...

Four...

The Helicopter was right above them now, its giant underside like a monster coming down upon her head.

Three...

It was coming down now, that giant monster was going to crush them, it was just too big.

Two...

There was no way to turn back.

One

The Helicopter landed.

The Rangers jumped out of the huge machine and moved quickly to the one Tally and David crouched unseen under. Tally hadn't known about this before, but David informed her that so as not to waste time on the war against the weeds the Rangers would, instead of refuelling, just switch Choppers. Other Rangers would come when they were out and fill up the discarded Chopper for the Rangers to pick up when they finished.

One of the Rangers did a quick check of the Helicopter before jumping in. He came right in front of where Tally and David were crouched.

Tally had to admit, even with her Special mind frame, this was very tense-making. Flashbacks of her last time Helicopter jumping came swimming back to her. She imagined those blades coming closer and closer, ready to cut her to ribbons. She could even remember the taste of fear in her mouth as she realized what might happen.

The blades began spinning. Slowly at first but then faster, faster, faster, faster, until they were going full speed. With sickening slowness the huge beast rose into the air.

"Here we go." David said shakily as the helicopter lifted into the great sky.

She realized that his whole body was shaking. He was just as frightened as she was. Even more so. For once his easily noticeable fear gave her strength instead of a small pang of pity and disgust.

She was not alone.


	6. Peco Desculpa!

**Happy belated christmas guys! **

I know the chapter name is a bit random but i just started learning portuguese and those are some of the only words i know. And it's supposed to mean Excuse me. also i can say dog, cat, duck, frog...

I'm so excited!

* * *

**SPOV**

"We're going down guys!" Shay yelled.

She didn't know the exact location. When she had last spoken to David he had said that only three or four people knew, the rest needed programmed position finders and so he couldn't tell her. Shay had tried wheedling the location out of him but David just kept repeating over and over again: "Mums the word."

Shay did however know the general area, and she along with all of her group would know when they got close.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet or what Ms. Mystery?" Tachs asked.

"I like being mysterious. It makes me feel _dangerous_." She said _dangerous_ with a lavish sexy voice that sent both her and Tachs into bursts of laughter.

"Meh. I think you're adorable when you're trying to be mysterious."

"Trying? Adorable? What's this nonsense?" Shay said lowering her eyebrows in a half accusing- half questioning expression.

"You do. Your mouth gets all pouty and set like you know the secret to the universe and you raise your eyebrows in an 'I-_see'_ sort of way. You look _sho cute_!" Tachs puckered his lips like a baby on the last words.

Shay grumbled. "I think that's just your cover story. Really you're terrified of my hidden knowledge. You are just so supremely frustrated that you don't know the wonders that hide behind my petrifying eyes."

Tachs laughed. "You're right. It's killing me!" he said sarcastically. He threw his hand to his heart as if he was having a heart attack. Unfortunately as soon as he pulled his arm in it sent the whole hoverboard out of balance.

She and Tachs went tumbling to the ground. Shay screamed involuntarily, even though they had been mere feet above the ground seeing as they had been slowly descending with the rest of the group for the past five minutes.

At the last minute Tachs jumped off, landed on his feet and held both arms aloft just in time to catch Shay in a baby cradle.

"Have a tumble there fair maiden?"

"_Pfft_! Fair maiden my ass." She tried to jump out of Tachs' arms but he held her firm. She couldn't move.

"You're right. You're more of the damsel in distress variety."

"Ugh! Let me go Tachs!" she struggled against his grip. He still didn't comply.

"What will you give me if I do?"

"I can tell you what you'll get if you don't" she said raising her fist.

Tachs laughed and started running to catch up with the other group members who had landed a little while after Tachs and Shay and were now waiting in a clearing a little ahead.

"Let me go Tachs! Put me down right now!" She yelled. She began swatting at his head.

"Hey!" he said. But he still didn't put her down. Instead he shifted her around so that she was now hanging over his shoulder with a very good view of his tush. Or bad, if you were someone like Shay who had never had a wish to have a one on one conversation with Tachs' backside.

"Tachs! Get your ass out of my face!"

"Correction my dear Shay. Get your face out of my ass."

"You put me here!" Shay exclaimed.

"That...is true. Ah well. You win some you lose some." Tachs shrugged his shoulders under Shay's stomach. She felt she might throw up.

Shay screamed and screamed and started pounding Tachs' back with her fists.

"Put"—pound—"me"—pound—"down!"

"Well well well, what's going on here?" came Fausto's voice. Shay heard something in his voice she couldn't instantly identify. It was some sort of edginess that he wanted to hide from them.

"Just taking Shay-la here for an afternoon stroll." Tachs said. She could hear the smirk in his voice, which infuriated her to no end.

"He won't put me down!" she squealed.

Ho laughed.

"_Ho_!"

"What? It's funny." He said innocently.

"Hey Shay, how's the view?" came another former Cutter.

Shay screamed in exasperation. "Will this day never end?" She belted at no one in particular.

There came a sigh from Ho. She heard him come around to her side of Tachs and his grippy shoes promptly came into view. He hoisted her down off of Tachs' shoulder and set her upright.

Shay hugged Ho. "_Thank-you_! About time, too."

Then she turned around to see Tachs smiling playfully at her. She casually walked up to him and with extreme delicacy and precision slapped him across the face.

He held his cheek and began to heatedly say something but Shay wagged her finger in his face and in a tone of finality said "_NEVER AGAIN_."

He glowered down at her but then his frown turned into a goofy smile. "Aw. You think that your _finger_ is gunna stop me? Schweety, it'd take rabid monkeys to keep me from fireman carrying you again. Just because it's so damn fun."

Shay sighed tiredly. She just couldn't win. She looked over at Fausto. "Do you know where I could get rabid monkeys?" she asked.

"'Fraid not." He said.

"Well, I'm basically screwed." She said and then she walked through her group, snapping her fingers to summon her hoverboard away from Tachs. The rest of her group followed her deeper into the forest.

The trees grew denser as they left the circle of the clearing. A million animal sounds reached their ears. Birds clicking and singing to each other. Chipmunks and other rodents having fast discussions with eachother while scampering across the ground or through the trees. Bugs made strange noises, some from chirping to wheezing. Gnats and fruit flies flew in circles around the group and had to be constantly swatted away in order to see. The underbrush was getting thicker and thicker and had to be tackled away. The people guiding Zane and the carrier still on hoverboards sometimes had to climb up trees to get the hoverboards above certain brambly areas. Some of the group had even taken out their old ceremonial knives and were chopping manically at the vines, trying unsuccessfully to get though the forests many reaching arms.

"Do we have to go by foot? This is a total waste of my time and energy." Ho whined. When he saw Shay's face he immediately knew his mistake.

"No, I didn't mean—" he began, but Shay cut him off.

"Oh, so saving Zane's _life_ is a waste of your time? Really, because I was under the impression that you cared about Zane's well being, but you know maybe that's just me. You know, I don't see anyone else complaining. They seem willing to go ahead and recue Zane." She waved a hand wildly around at the surrounding group. They all gave nervous nods, almost like they were afraid she'd hurt them if they disagreed. _Good_, she thought, _I'm sick of people like Ho, who just don't _care_._She was remembering the time when Ho had hesitated before coming to help at the hospital. She knew he had no right to blow up at him now but it had made her a little edgy that Ho might be thinking of leaving them for Diego. She didn't know what she would do without Ho. He was her wingman. The person she could always count on. She might not be able to keep this up if he deserted her, too.

"Oh, and by the way Ho. Yes, we do need to go by foot. Otherwise we would miss _those_."

She pointed ahead to where two dolls hung from their necks from a single tree. They were made to look like twig and other rough materials, but Shay could sense the City power behind them. When she stuck out her hand it began to give small shaking movements. As she reached out farther, it began to hake violently.

"We're here." She said.


End file.
